Singapore announces defence budget increase

Janes Defence Budgets forecasts Singapore's total defence budget to reach more than USD27 billion by 2030. (Janes Defence Budgets)

Singapore has announced a defence budget of SGD24.93 billion (USD19.5 billion) for 2026. The new expenditure – announced on 12 February – represents an increase of 6.4% over the revised 2025 allocation of SGD23.44 billion.

The 2026 defence allocation includes SGD23.32 billion (or about 94% of the total defence budget) for operations, which is a 5.6% increase over the revised operations expenditure in 2025.

Budget documents show that almost all of the operating expenditure for 2026 (SGD23.29 billion) is allocated towards the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

This SAF allocation, which is an increase of 5.7% over the previous fiscal year, includes payments for purchases of military equipment, maintenance of equipment and facilities, and allowances and salaries of SAF personnel.

The 2026 defence budget also includes SGD1.62 billion for development expenses, up about 19% over the revised allocation for 2025. Budget documents attributed the increase to higher construction costs for development works.

Janes Defence Budgets forecasts that Singapore's total defence budget will reach the equivalent of more than USD27 billion by 2030.

Major procurements

The new budget has been announced amid a series of SAF modernisation initiatives.

The US Department of State approved in January a USD2.3 billion sale to Singapore of four Boeing P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft and eight Mk 54 MOD 0 lightweight torpedoes.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) announced at Singapore Airshow 2026 earlier in February that it has acquired used C-130H aircraft to refresh its airlift capabilities.

An RSAF spokesperson also confirmed to Janes